Steel pole



permanent tubular connections,

Patented Aug. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES ts'ze zio PATENT PF 1195 CLINTON DE WITT, 0F BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO TAPEB; TUBE POLE 00.,

or SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA,

Application filed April 2,

This invention relates to steel poles such as used for electric power transmission lines, trolley poles, telephone and telegraph poles, etc., and especially to a pole of this character which is 'constructed'of separable sectional tapering tubular sections.

The object of the present invention is to generally improve and simplify the construction and operation of poles of the character described; to provide a pole consisting of a plurality of tapering tubular telescoping sections, said sections increasing in diameter from top to bottom and the thickness of the metalemployed also increasing from top to bottom; to provide a pole in which the tapering sections may be permanently welded 01' joined in pairs or units; to provide means whereby a detachable adjustable connection may beformed between each pair of permanently connected tubular sections; and further to provide one or more internal reinforcing members for each tubular section. One form which the invention may assume is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawing, in'which:

, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the tubular sectional pole showing it assembled,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of one of the Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of 'tachable tubular connections, Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of the internal bracing discs, Q i Fig. 5 is an enlarged section of the detachable connection shown in Fig. 3. i 7

Referring to the drawing in detail and particularly Fig. 1, it will be noted that the tubular tapering seotionalsteel'pole is illustrated. In the present instance, the pole is 0 shown as consisting of six sections such as indicated at 1, 2, 3, at, 5 and 6. The lowermost section is heaviest in construction, i. e., constructed of the heaviest sheet metal and one of the dea 1s uniform in diameter throughout its length.

The remaining sections are also tubularbnt A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

swam. rota 1927. Serial No. 180,416.

y taper from end to end so as to provide a series of telescoping connections. Each tapering section is constructed of steel or like material, and the metal employed in eachsecjoined as at 7, the sections 3 and 4 being per- Suflice it to, say

manently joined as at .8 and the sections 5 V and 6 being permanently joined as at 9. These tubular sections are joined in'pairs or units asindicated in Fig. 2 by telescoping them with relation to each other and then r by welding as indicated at 10. This perma nent joining of the tubular sections in'pairs is preferably done in the shop or factory where-they are manufactured and they are shipped in this condition to the point of assembly. ,A detachable joint or other suitable detachable connecting means is accordingly required between each pair or unit, these detachable joints being indicated at 11 and 12. The detachable joints are best illustrated in Figs. 3 andj5, for instance, the upper end of thesection 2 is provided with an annular flange 14 which is angle-shaped in cross-section and permanently secured to the tubular section 2 by welding or th like. Similarly secured to the lower end of the section 3 is comparativelyheavy metal ring 15. The angle flange 14 is drilled to receive'the lower ends of a suitable number of hook-shaped bolts generally indicated at 16. These bolts are threaded substantially from endtoend and each bolt .carries awasher 17 and three nuts such as indicated at 18, 19 and 20. In actual practice when the permanently joined tubular sections are received in the field, they are joined by telescoping the section 3 over the upper end of the section 2 and similarly by telescoping the lower end of the section 5 over the upper end of the section a. The sections are driven or otherwise forced together and the bolts 16 are applied by removing the lower nuts 20 and passing the lower ends of the bolts through the drilled holes or perforations intheflange 14. Thefupper endsof the bolts are then hooked over the ring or flange 15 and the lower nuts 20 are applied and tightened. VZ hen the tubes are properly aligned and properlyitelescoped with relation to each other, nut 18 is tightened against the washer 17 and the ring or flange 15 while the nut 19 is screwed downwardly on the bolt into engagement with the flange 14; This is important as any bending stresses transmitted to the jointsis taken up by the bolts and it may also be stated that any tendency of the tubular sections to further telescope with relation to, each other is also taken care of dueto the support afiorded by the nuts 19'engaging the upper face of the flange 14. The tubular sections may be internally reinforcedby metal discs such as shown at 22 (see Figs. 1 and 4.) These discs are preferably notched as indicated at23 to permit drainage as will later be described. As previously stated the pole is made in sections to permit the use of standard plate lengths and to reduce weight byusing varying plate thicknesses. The sections are joined in pairs in the shop as shown in Fig. 2 and the detachable joints, are not connected until the poles arriveat the point of erection. 1 The joints made in the shop, are as previously stated, closed by a circular weld while the a detachable joints are held together by the hook bolts and any stresses encounterediare thus takencare' of by placing the bolts either under tension orcompression as the case may be; A joint of this character will accordingly not rely on the frictionof the telescoping action only as the greater part of the load or stresses imposed is-transmitted to thebolts. The bolt connection is also of further im portance I as it permits a variation in the "amount of lap when thesections arejoined 'byemploying longer bolts, etc. It must be assumed that bolts of this character will be provided witha protective covering such as galvanizing, asphalt c paint, 1 etc.. Field welding destroys protective coverings of this character andis not desirablefor that reason.

Furthermore, welding requires compressed a r and additional equipment and is a com paratively expensive operation.. The type of detachable field joint heredescribed is for these reasons considered a vital factor in the pole. llnactual practree, the permanently joined pole sectionsmay be galvanized or covered with asphal-tic material by dipping or the like and as the protective covering is applied both to the exterior and interior surfaces, it is obvious that the notches 23 must be formed in the reinforcing discs to permit perfect drainage or escape of excess covering material. A disc may also be placed in the bottom of the lowermost section 1, this being also more or less of importance as .it will provide a proportionately, greater bearing area. Any suitable type of cross arm structure may be employed, no particular cross arm or method of attaching the cross arms being illustrated as this, maybe Varied to suit different conditions. The base section isindicated at 1 which enters the ground as previously stated,

is constructed of heavier metal as it carries.

corrosion, the tapered sectional construction will be, continued throughout to permit of easy extraction of the interior concrete form.

While certain features of the present invention are more o rless specifically described and indicated, I Wish it understood that va rious changes may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims; similarly, that the materials and finish of the several-parts employed may be'such as the manufacturer may dictate or varying conditions or uses may demand... 1 a

Having thusdescribed my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a pole of the character described, a pair of telescoping sections, each section.be-' ing provided with annular exterior flanges which are superposed with relation to each other, a plurality of bolts extending through the lowermost flange, a hook-shaped end on each bolt engaging the uppermost flange and nuts carried by the bolts and engageable with the underside of the uppermost flange and with upper side of the lowermost flange,

3 2. A pole forvertical erection and to resist a horizontal load at its uppermost end, said pole comprising a lowermost unit formedof a: plurality of hollow sections the lowermost scoping'the contiguous endsthereof, detachableconnecting means at the contiguous ends of sa d unts for clamplng said imitstogether top.

CLINTON on WITT. 

